Harness-buckle



(No Model.)

M. E. ZELLER.

HARNESS BUCKLE.

No. 360,192. Patented Mar. 29, 1887.

In van/for affarlz qz a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

MELANCTHON E. ZELLER, OF BLUFFTON, OHIO.

HARNESS-BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 360,192, datedMarch 29, 1687.

Application filed Octolzer 7, 1886.

.To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that I, MELANCTHON E. ZELLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bluffton, in the county of Allen and State of Ohio, have invented certain newand useful Improve ments in Harness-Buckles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in harness-buckles; and it consists of the peculiar combination and novel construction and an ra'ngement of parts for service, substantially as hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Heretofore ithas been common to provide the forward end of each of the reins or lines of a harness with a loop at one side, a buckle, and

a billet, which is secured at one end to the forward end of the line or rein and on the side thereof opposite to the loop by stitching, and the free end of the billet is doubled upon itself and passed through and connected with the buckle, and thence through theloop in, which its free end is confined.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved buckle for the forward end of the rein or line, which is to be so folded and arranged therein as to form the billet, and thereby dispense with the separate loop, the billet, and the necessity for stitching the billet to the reins or strap. a

The invention is especially designed as an improvement upon the buckle patented to me on the 1st day of June, 1886, and numbered 343,091; and it consists of an open rectangular frame provided with two parallel transverse bars arranged on a plane beneath the frame and at the middle thereof, and a swinging tongue pivotally connected to one of the trans verse middle bars of the buckle-frame and inclined in reverse direction of the pull or strain upon the rein or line, combined with a rein or line. which is first passed beneath the end bars of the frame and above the transverse bars thereof and having the tongue of the buckle passed through a transverse aperture or opening therein and then bent or doubled upon itself to form the billet, after which the free end of the rein or line is again passed beneath the end bars of the frame, so that it Serial No. Mfr-.68. (No model.)

bears or impinges upon that part of the rein which passes through the buckle-frame, and the free end of the tongue will again pass through an aperture in the rein or line. By thus forming the billet in the end of the rein itself, the rein can be connected directly with the ring of the bridle-bit; or a snaphook can be connected to the billet, and thus detachably connect the rein to the bridle-bit, as is usual; and the free end of the rein can be easily disconnected from the tongue of the buckle without disturbing the other part of the line or rein in the buckle, so that the line can be easily disconnected from the bridle or the hook replaced by another, as may be desired.

In my prior patent, hereinbefore referred to, I formed the buckle-frame with a rigid post or stud, which projects at right angles to the cross-bar on which it is located and at right angles to a line drawn through the end bars of the buckle'frame, and the rein or line of the harness first passes through the frame and is then doubled upon itself, the free end of the rein passing beneath that part thereof which has been passed through the buckleframe, and it then engages the rigid post or stud of the frame to securely connect the buckle to the rein or line. My present invention differs from this device from the fact that I substitute for the rigid post a swing ing tongue, which is pivoted upon one of the bars of the buckle frame and is inclined in reverse direction to the line of the pull or strain on the rein or line, and the free end of the reinlis folded upon the upper side of itself and then passed back into the frame beneath the end bars thereof, instead of be neath the strap, and connected to the stud. This arrangement and construction of parts is important, as free access to the free end of the rein or line can be readily had to withdraw and disengage the same from the buckle-frame without disturbing that part of the strap or line which passes therethrough, and enabling the rein to be easily connected to or detached from the ring of the bit, or the snap-hook to be connected to the billet, instead of connecting the latter to the bit-ring.

Although I have illustrated and described my improved buckle as applied to and combined with a strap or rein of a harness, still I do not desire to confine myself to the use of my said invention in this particular art, but hold myself at liberty-to useit upon any strap.

In the drawings hereto annexed,which illustrate a buckle and rein or strap constructed and combined according to my invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a vertical central longitudinal sectional view thereon, and Fig. 3 is an inverted perspective view of the buckle detached from the rein or line.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the buckle, which consists of a frame, B, and a swinging tongue, D. The frame of the buckle is made substantially square in form and consists of the parallel side bars, a, and the parallel end ortransverse bars, b 1), arranged at and connecting the ends of the side bars, all of the said bars being formed or cast in a single piece of metal.

The frame of the buckle is provided at its middle with a transverse bar, 0, which is ar ranged beneath the plane of the side andend bars of the frame, and this bar is cast or formed integral with the frame. The buckle-frame is provided with another transverse bar, O,which is also arranged beneath the plane of the frame and parallel with the bar 0, the bar 0 being arranged slightly below the plane of the bar 0 and between the latter and the front end bar, I), of the frame.

The tongue D of the buckleis pivotally connected to the middle of the barO of the frame, which thus becomes the pivot bar for the tongue, and this tongue inclines forwardly from the pivotbar toward the front end bar, I), of the frame, and in reverse direction to the line of pull or strain upon the rein or line, which is indicated by the arrow in in Figs. 1 and 2. J i

E designates the rein or line which passes beneath the end bars of the buckle-frame and .above the transverse bars 0 0 thereof, and

= the frame and has an aperture, g, formed therein, through the free end of which the pivoted tongue passes, as clearly shown in the sectional Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains from the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings.

WVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 1. A harness-buckle consisting of a frame having the connected side and end bars, the transverse pivot-bar 0, intermediate the ends of the frame and located on a plane beneath the same, and a similar bar, 0, located between thepivot-bar and the front of the same, and a tongue pivoted on the said intermediate pivot-bar and inclined upwardly and forwardly of the frame overv the bar 0, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A buckle for harness-bridles having an open frame and a cross-bar intermediate the ends of the frame, and a tongue pivoted on the said crossbar and inclined in the reverse direction to the strain on the reins, in combination with a rein or strap passing through the buckle-frame and doubled upon itself to form a billet, said strap having trans verse apertures 9, through which the pivoted buckletongue passes, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

3. A buckle for harness-bridles, consisting of an open rectangularframe having the transverse bars intermediate the ends of the frame and located on a plane beneath the same, and a swinging tongue pivoted on one of the transverse bars of the frame and inclined upwardly and forwardly in reverse direction to the line of pull or strain upon the strap or rein, in combination with the strap passing through the buckle-frame beneath the ends thereof and above the transverse bars and having its free end doubled upon the upper side of the same and returned beneath the end bars of the frame, the tongue of the buckle being passed through aligned openings 9 c in the said strap or rein, substantially as described, for the pur- MELANCTHON E. ZELLER.

Witnesses:

S. O. EDMONDS, J 0s. R. EDsoN. 

